FINAL: Cubs 10, Red Sox 4 - Cody Bellinger blast ends Sox streak

WHO: Red Sox (49-43) at Chicago Cubs (42-48)
WHEN: 2:20 p.m.
WHERE: Wrigley Field, Chicago.
SERIES TO DATE: Red Sox lead series, 1-0.
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP James Paxton (5-1, 2.73) vs. RHP Marcus Stroman (9-6, 2.96)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI-FM 93.7

LIVE BOX

LINEUP

RED SOX

Duran CF

Yoshida LF

Turner DH

Devers 3B

Verdugo RF

Casas 1B 

Arroyo 2B

Wong C 

Hernández SS 

Paxton SP 

CUBS

Hoerner SS

Suzuki RF

Happ LF

Bellinger CF

Gomes C

Mancini 1B

Morel 2B

Amaya DH

Wisdom 3B

Stroman SP

WHAT’S UP

The Red Sox are on a 6-game winning streak, tied with BAL for the longest active streak in MLB. The Sox have won 9 of their last 10 games. They own the MLB’s best record since June 30 (9-1) and the AL’s best since June 14 (16-8)...At 49-43 (.533), Boston entered today tied for MLB’s 13th-best record. ... The Sox have scored 5 or more runs in 7 of their last 10 games (62 total runs), following a season-long streak of 8 straight games with 4 runs or fewer (15 runs). ... The Red Sox are 4-0 so far in their stretch of 12-straight games against teams that currently own a sub-.500 record (3-game series vs. OAK, at CHC, at OAK, vs. NYM). 7 of their 11 series from 7/7-8/17 are against teams that entered today with record of .500 or lower. ... The Red Sox hit a season-high 6 HR last night, their most since 7/19/21 at TOR (also 6 HR) ... Rafael Devers recorded 3 hits, including 2 HR...He has three 3 hit games in his last 9 games since 7/1, after recording 3 in his first 79 games this season ... Kenley Jansen (0.1 IP, SO) stranded 3 inherited runners, earning the save...He finished his 600th career game, becoming one of only 18 pitchers to finish as many as 600 games (first since Francisco Rodriguez in 2015) ... In 9 July games, the Red Sox lead MLB in AVG (.321), OBP (.374), OPS (.907), and SLG (.533) (103-for- 321, 25 2B, 2 3B, 13 HR, 24 BB)...The Sox have hit 2+ HR (10 total HR) in each of their last 3 games since snapping a season-long 4-game homerless streak ...In their last 11 games, Red Sox pitchers have posted a 3.09 ERA (34 ER/99.0 IP)...During that span, Red Sox starting pitchers (including openers) are 5-1 with a 2.77 ERA and .234 opponent AVG (15 ER/48.2 IP, 42-for-179)...James Paxton pitched 6.0 innings, allowing 2 ER and striking out 3 in a win over Oakland on July 8, his first start since his return from maternity leave...

Marcus Stroman is scheduled to make his team-high 20th start of the 2023 season today ... dating to Aug. 30, 2022, has allowed two runs or fewer in 19 of his last 26 starts, pitching to a 2.73 ERA (47 ER/154.2 IP), the lowest ERA in the majors during that span (min. 26 GS) ... his 14 quality starts are tied for the major league lead this season and his 23 such outings since the All-Star break of last season are tied for the most in the majors ... his .187 average allowed (42-for-225) against left-handed hitters is the third-lowest among major league starters ... his 2.96 ERA (37 ER/112.2 IP) is the fourth-lowest in the N.L. among qualified pitchers while his .205 average against is the fifth-lowest in the majors among qualified pitchers ... his 112.2 IP is tied for seventh in the N.L. ... Chicago finished the "first half" with a 42-47 record ... the team was 35-57 in the "first half" of 2022. ... The Cubs are 5-10 in their last 15 games since June 25 following a stretch in which it went 11-2 in 13 contests from June 9-24. .... The Cubs are the only N.L. Central Division club with a positive run differential (+21) ... Pittsburgh is at -48, St. Louis -33, Milwaukee -12 and Cincinnati -10. ...The Cubs returned from the All-Star break with two pitchers in the top-five of N.L. ERA qualifiers for the first time since 1963 ... Justin Steele's 2.56 ERA ranked second in the N.L. ... on the season, Cubs starting pitchers have put up a 4.08 ERA (218 ER/481.0 IP) in 90 games ... that's the fifth-best ERA among N.L. starting rotations and 11th in the majors. Chicago has 40 quality starts, second-most in the N.L. (San Diego, 43) and seventh in baseball.... Cody Bellinger in 22 games since being reinstated from the injured list on June 15 (left knee contusion) has batted .359 (28-for-78) with 17 runs, four doubles, four home runs, 11 RBI and an .959 OPS.

UP NEXT

7/16 at CHC 2:20 p.m. RHP Kutter Crawford (3-4, 4.11) LHP Justin Steele (9-2, 2.56) NESN